Mad Hatter Page 11

othe

That is, there is no unifying theme. We see divisiveness every-
where but in our own actions. If there are any unifying themes
they remain in our collective unconscious... unnamed and out of
touch... incapable of making the transition from possibility to
actuality.

This lack of unity is reflected in the absence of cohesive-
ness within the philosophy. It is not an intserated statement.
One searches in vain for an animating spirit behind the letters,
words, and sentences. Each sub-point seems to be independent of
each other sub-point or, at the most, possessing a kind of tacked
on, mechanical relatedness. It is the work of a committee or a
number of committees and thus does not reflect a single point of
view or common vision.

What, after all, is the value of a philosophy? It is to pro-
vide guidance. Because each historical moment is unique and each
decision never before faced our guidelines can't be laid down in
advance. Rather, a functional philosophy allows us to intuit the
intent or spirit behind the law and apply that to each new situa-
tion facing us. A sound philosophy facillitates independent de-
cision making for that very reason.

A well written philosophy sets off a train of cognitive pro-
cesses in the reader that eventuate in an organic, and intuitive
understanding. How does this happen? The writer begins with a
vision... a seamless gestalt depicting all aspects of the rela-
tionship between the college and its community. When it comes
to translating this vision into print, however, all aspects can
not be included. In much the same manner as those manuals that
depict how the parts fit together through “exploded” diagrams;

our writer “explodes” his gestalt or vision into parts. He or